I wanted to share with y'all this poem which I will be performing at all of the poetry slams I go to this year. Among other things, I want your opinion on whether I'm going to be attacked.
IF I WERE THE DEVIL
Devil! he shouted as loud as could he
Devil! he shouted and pointed at me
this smaller-side girl with a troubled-side head
and a larger-side issue with things that he said
his name-calling bothered me only a bit
this happens quite often; I’ve grown used to it
what bothered me more was that he had the gall
to hate something so that he knew not at all
for I’m not the devil, I’ve not been to hell
my soul’s not yet locked in a fire-prison cell
but if I were the devil my life might be grim
if people talked of me the way they talk of him
my demeanor might well be a little bit rancid
if I had but one friend and he was Marilyn Manson
if people blamed me for the wars plagues and weevils
I too might be feeling a little bit evil
kicked out of heaven to languish in doom
soundtracked by screaming of anguish and gloom
if this were my life I may well be dead
and the anger and hatred might go to my head
no I’m not the devil I’ve not been to hell
my soul’s not yet locked in a fire-prison cell
but things might be different if I had been there
if I’d had his spot in the archangels’ lair
who wouldn’t want heaven to be all his own?
who wouldn’t want to sit on the king-of-kings’ throne?
‘twas by mere coincidence he was the one
and I can’t judge him for what I might have done
I hope that I wouldn’t but I can’t be sure
I know I have faults that no prayer would cure
and neither does this man; no more was he there
not one of us lived in the archangel’s lair
it’s something to think about; touchy but true
it could have been different; it could have been you
would you have sunk down to old Lucifer’s level?
would things have been different if you were the devil?
but Devil! he shouted as loud as could he
Devil! he shouted and pointed at me
I look in his eyes and we stare a long while
and he looks so confused when he sees that I smile
for I’m not the devil I’ve not been to hell
my soul’s not yet locked in a fire-prison cell
no I’m not the devil but I could have been
behind my girl-smile an imp-smile grins
I could be the devil and also could he
and he knows it too in his eyes I can see
if I were the devil and I had control
for whom pandemonium’s welcome-bell tolled
if I ruled over hell with my iron fist
this hypocrite here would be first on my list
Flashman wrote: Jolly well done, toots - a spiffing attempt.
Not sure about the Marilyn Manson line, though.
Thank you much, and I threw the Marilyn Manson line in there to bring my recitation time over two minutes...stupid slam rules. Think it worked okay, though, if he were my only friend I might have to kill myself.
Nah, if anyone's gonna slam you for it then they don't know fuck all about poetry. Poetry's supposed to controversial. I'd be applauding...
HANG ON!! You're not performing that at a Catholic poetry thing are you? J/K